This invention relates to game playing services for gaming machines such as slot machines, video poker machines and bingo or pulltab machines. More particularly, the present invention relates to methods of authenticating cashless instruments, such as vouchers, in gaming machine systems.
There are a wide variety of associated devices that can be connected to a gaming machine such as a slot machine or video poker machine. Some examples of these devices are lights, ticket printers, card readers, speakers, bill validators, ticket readers, coin acceptors, display panels, key pads, coin hoppers and button pads. Many of these devices are built into the gaming machine or components associated with the gaming machine such as a top box which usually sits on top of the gaming machine.
Typically, utilizing a master gaming controller, the gaming machine controls various combinations of devices that allow a player to play a game on the gaming machine and also encourage game play on the gaming machine. For example, a game played on a gaming machine usually requires a player to input money or indicia of credit into the gaming machine, indicate a wager amount, and initiate a game play. These steps require the gaming machine to control input devices, including bill validators and coin acceptors, to accept money into the gaming machine and recognize user inputs from devices, including key pads and button pads, to determine the wager amount and initiate game play. After game play has been initiated, the gaming machine determines a game outcome, presents the game outcome to the player and may dispense an award of some type depending on the outcome of the game.
As technology in the gaming industry progresses, the traditional method of dispensing coins or tokens as awards for winning game outcomes is being supplemented by ticket dispensers which print ticket vouchers that may be exchanged for cash or accepted as credit of indicia in other gaming machines for additional game play. An award ticket system, which allows award ticket vouchers to be dispensed and utilized by other gaming machines, increases the operational efficiency of maintaining a gaming machine and simplifies the player pay out process. An example of an award ticket system is the EZ PAY ticket system by International Game Technology (IGT) of Reno, Nev. Award ticket systems and systems using other cashless mediums are referred to as cashless systems.
Cashless systems, such as the EZ PAY ticket system, provide advantages to both game players and casino operators. For example, many players find it more convenient to carry an award ticket than a large number of coins. Cashless systems also tend to reduce gaming machine operating costs. For example, the infrastructure needed to remove and count indicia of credit (e.g. coins, tokens, bills) from the gaming machine may be eliminated or minimized when it is replaced with a cashless system, which reduces the gaming machine operating costs. Further, coin dust, which is potentially damaging to the components of the gaming machine (e.g. electronic components) may be eliminated or minimized when coin acceptors are replaced with the cashless system.
Currently, cashless systems have become very popular and have been embraced by customers. For example, ticket vouchers that are generated upon cash-out and redeemed for cash or gaming machine credits within a particular casino are well accepted by game players. Cashless gaming instruments, such as EZ PAY tickets, can be used for game play in a gaming machine or redeemed for cash.
However, a cashless gaming instrument is normally redeemable only at the gaming establishment that issued the cashless gaming instrument and typically has an expiration date. Moreover, a cashless gaming instrument may be used by anyone who has possession of the cashless gaming instrument, whether or not the rightful owner. If a player loses a cashless gaming instrument or does not redeem it at the same gaming establishment prior to the expiration date, the player loses the value of the cashless gaming instrument. If there were a way to add a security aspect to cashless gaming instruments to identify the owner, player trust and acceptability would be enhanced. Moreover, it would be desirable to offer players increased flexibility with regard to their control of cashless gaming instruments.